Maple Grove resident pleads guilty to prostitution charges

Sentencing Oct. 11, Parker faces up to 108 months in prison

An 18-year-old former Hopkins High School cheerleader pleaded guilty to three prostitution-related counts for sex trafficking a 16-year-old cheerleading teammate in March.

Montia Marie Parker, Maple Grove, turned down a deal for that would have sentenced her to 45-60 months in prison in exchange for a guilty plea on Aug. 30 in Hennepin County Court.
Montia Marie Parker

Instead, a hearing was set Oct. 11 where Parker’s lawyer and Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Joshua Larson will argue over her sentence, with possible witnesses to be present.

The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines recommend 90 months in prison with a range up to 108 months for Parker’s counts.

Her lawyer said at the Aug. 30 hearing that he would argue for significantly less than 45 months in prison for Parker.

Parker confirmed the details of the criminal complaint filed against her in the spring in pleading guilty to first-degree counts of soliciting a minor to practice prostitution, first-degree sex trafficking of a minor and first-degree promotion of prostitution of a minor.

Parker said that beginning on March 1 she had several conversations and exchanged text messages with a 16-year-old girl – who works with a social worker at the school due to a developmental cognitive delay – after she heard the girl was interested in making some money.

Parker asked the girl if she would be willing to have sex for money via a Facebook message and text message. The younger girl told Parker she would be willing to give men oral sex for money, according to the criminal complaint.

The girl then sent Parker photos of herself that Parker used in creating a Backpage.com ad, a website known for advertising prostitution services, among other things. The ad generated two phone calls, according to Parker at the Aug. 30 hearing.

On March 5, Parker texted the younger girl and told her to leave school and get in her car. Parker drove the girl and two other girls to a New Hope apartment complex.

When they arrived, Parker told the girl, “You’re up!” and directed her to an apartment to give a man oral sex. The man gave her $60, and the girl gave Parker the money she received. Parker then deposited all $60 into her bank account.

The next day, Parker asked the young girl to leave school again and called the school pretending to be her mother requesting that the girl be excused from school for the day.

Parker drove the younger girl to a Brooklyn Park residence and said a man wanted to have sex with her, but the younger girl refused.

“You’ll be fine, I didn’t drive up here for nothing, and eventually you will need to have sex,” Parker told the young girl, according to the criminal complaint.

The man insisted she have sex with him, but she refused, saying she would give him oral sex instead. The man refused this arrangement, and Parker drove the girl back to school.

When asked by her lawyer at the Aug. 30 hearing how she felt, Parker responded, “Guilty. Regretful. Remorseful.”

Hennepin County District Court Judge William Koch accepted her guilty pleas and will hand down the sentence, but ordered a full hearing in October.